


Not After All

by St_Are



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Country & Western, First Kiss, Hot Weather, Implied Juke, Implied Ruke, Luke is basically a golden retriever, M/M, No Plot/Plotless, implied willex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:27:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28764036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/St_Are/pseuds/St_Are
Summary: Alex needs to get away, but Luke is always up to something
Relationships: Alex Mercer/Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 23





	Not After All

California’s weather was awful.

The garage was insufferably hot in that season; that was something the boys had realized 25 years ago and had come to terms with it. But being dead? Made everything worse.

Julie and Flynn had helped them out as much as possible. They had opened up the windows and turned on a fan that was laying around, but still, the pain was unbearable.

Because ghost rules were a mess and hell, the boys could sweat and feel the impact of the weather, but they couldn’t drink water or any liquid for that matter. They had broken 4 glasses trying to drink something and Julie was livid, so they just stopped doing it. Willie tried giving them a few water bottles from the Hollywood Ghost Club he had stolen but they couldn’t exist out of the building. They ended up trying to occupy themselves with other things, so they could escape the heat.

Reggie was working with Julie in a new country song they had been developing; they were surprisingly good with the banjo and the harmonica. Alex on the other hand, escaped as far as he could to avoid the music, Willie was busy doing some ghost stuff, so the next logical place was Julie’s room; Luke stayed to write with them, but quickly realized he wasn’t needed there. Julie and Reggie were in another world.

He poofed out of there, appearing where Alex was after a couple of unsuccessful jumps. The blond one was trying to play Luke’s acoustic guitar, but he dropped it when Luke materialized in the room.

“Jesus fuck, what are you doing here?” He was annoyed, he didn’t like surprises. Not even from his friends.

Alex was using one of Luke’s tank tops (technically it was Alex’s but he never used it so Luke now owned it) It was pink and had a design in teal colored letters. Alex’s regular wardrobe was too wintery for that type of weather.

Luke smiled maliciously, he liked the face Alex made when he was mildly scared and annoyed.

“Nothing, Reggie is full into country mode so I wanted to check on you” A lie, he needed someone to talk to, even if that someone wasn’t Reggie. He needed to talk to another person or he might go insane.

Alex was suspicious. Alex and Luke were friends,obviously, but they didn’t have a connection as deep and long as Reggie and Luke. They had met at a very young age and since then, those boys were inseparable, and Alex felt okay with that. He was still friends with them, nothing would have ever changed that.

“Yeah, I hate when he does that” Alex huffed before trying to take the guitar off the ground. Of course, he failed miserably. He was the strongest of them but he also had the most trouble lifting things.

“God dammit not again” He tried once again, but Luke reacted first. He picked it up easily, before handing it to Alex, with a smile on his face. The same mocking smile.

“Show-off” Said the blond one, smiling a little bit in the process. Luke was so cheerful that he was contagious.

Luke laughed, before resting on the bed, with the belly on the mattress, and raising his head to see Alex.

“What were you playing?” Luke asked. He liked writing songs, and he liked even more when other people did it. It was like seeing and watching a part of someone’s soul. The connection each person had to music was fascinating to him.

“Nothing, just something I wrote a few days ago” Alex didn’t like to talk about the things he wrote, he feared his songs were cheesy or too vain or too convoluted.

The blond one touched his fanny pack, before touching the strings once again.

“Show me. I wanna hear it” To him, the worst tragedy imaginable was his friends not sharing their gifts to the world. That and the lack of pizza while being a ghost. He was his friends’ biggest fan. He tried to support and encourage them as much as possible. He wanted them to reach their full potential.

Alex was startled at first, Luke was so talented, and was going to hear him play his song. Luke was not a judge, but it still made him nervous.

Alex tried to come up with an excuse as to why he didn’t want to, but between his brain being unable to find a good excuse and Luke’s puppy eyes refusing was not an option.

“Okay, but don’t laugh. Or say anything bad actually. Just… listen first” Luke chuckled, but quickly agreed. Alex breathed, and began to play.

It was a ballad, a slow ballad for that matter. It took place in prom, Luke noticed. The song was about a boy waiting for another boy, and thinking about all the things they would do once he arrives. The boy thinks about their past together, and how they ever came to be in a relationship. After a while of wondering and remembering, the boy starts to wander around the gym, looking for his lover and singing desperately for him. Finally, a door opens, and he runs towards it, hoping to find him and hoping it was all a trick his mind was playing on him. But he finds no one there, the wind opened it. And he is alone waiting.

Alex’s facial expressions were ilegible the entire time, but he remained with his strong and firm gaze. He showed a lot of emotions, but which ones, Luke couldn’t figure out.

When he finished playing, Alex looked at his judge, hoping to find a hard critique ready to be said, but instead found a sobbing Luke. His eyes watery and his hands over his mouth.

The funny thing about ghosts is that they cry a lot for a being without biological responses like crying. It made Alex’s brain hurt if he thought about it too much.

“Oh, Alex, I never thought…” Luke stood up, ready to hug Alex, and Alex couldn't do anything to stop him.

Luke’s love language was touch, there was no doubt, and being a ghost deprived him of hugging people as much as he wanted to. When Julie hugged him after almost biting the dust, he felt so relieved, but it was not enough. He wanted to let everyone know how much he cared for them. He could always hug his bandmates, but he didn’t want to overstep himself, or to make them uncomfortable. Reggie was the most open to touch out of them, so he was always getting hugs, touches, and embraces.

Alex was rigid, he was still mad about him crying for 25 years and never receiving a hug or word of support, and he also had a guitar that was in the middle of them, but God, Luke’s contact was something he never thought he needed as much as now.

They were very touch deprived, in a spiritual and literal sense.

Luke’s hugs were never too tight or too hard, but with the guitar it was a little weird. Alex liked it nonetheless.

“Again, tell me how am I the emotional one” Alex tried to brush it off, but Luke never lets anything pass. Hecontinued to hold him, and that started to feel too intimate.

“You just are, shut up” Luke laughed softly, before letting the blond one go.

They stood there, awkwardly and sweaty.

“Oh, this is yours” Alex extended his arms to give Luke his guitar, before realizing he wasn’t putting any thought to it, so the guitar passed directly through his fingers like it was water. Both boys hurried to grab it, and they both succeeded in it by grabbing it by the opposite ends.

They locked eyes. They hadn’t noticed their eyes’ color was so different. Alex’s eyes were crystal blue, in contrast, Luke’s eyes were a dark green, like olives.

The brunet extended an arm to help both stand up, but Alex got closer.

What to do? _Screw thinking_ Luke thought, just smash the expectations and let your feelings run.

Alex was scared, but now was not the time. He was safe with him. There was nothing to fear. _Let go, and enjoy_ , his inner voice told him.

They kissed once, and then kissed more.

The guitar was tossed aside by someone, they are not sure who did it, but it safely landed in Julie’s bed. It was amazing how quick things start to level up once you agree.

Despite Luke’s extroverted personality, the one taking over was Alex.

Alex had kissed many boys before; okay just two boys but it was still many; okay one of them was in kindergarten so that left out just technically one. Luke was an improvement compared to those two boys.

Luke hadn’t kissed any boys, he didn’t realize it was a choice or something that could happen until Alex came out to them that he realized he could, and still, he wasn’t really sure how he felt until a few days back. He hadn’t told anyone but he was going to. Now he just needed to tell Reginald and Julie.

The brunet had the initiative, but not the lead. He was kissing him slowly and putting a lot of emotion to his lips. He put a hand on the contrary’s cheek, and began to rub his thumb. Alex smiled through the kiss. He couldn’t believe how soft Luke’s lips were, and how tender and gentle he could be. He was fire but in a caring, protective way. Like a chimney.

They were melting onto each other, souls who had been looking for someone for a long time, but as soon as they touched each other's shoulders, they realized they weren’t longing for that person.

Kissing felt good, but it was numb. It numbed their senses and started to sink in their minds. With whom and what they were doing was clear. The contact and kiss was nice, but it didn’t feel as good as it should have felt. It didn’t feel bad, but it felt… Off.

Both of them had realized. They stopped kissing, after a few seconds more, just to be completely sure.

“I..., Luke, I didn’t want to…” Alex tried to finish the sentence, but was interrupted.

“No, stop, dude. I know what you want to say, but it’s okay. I felt the same way” The brunet wanted to say more, but the eyes of both told more than their words could ever do.

They weren’t in love, they just longed for someone. Alex liked Willie, and Luke liked Reggie and Julie. Or Reggie, or just Julie. Luke wasn’t sure.

“Yeah, okay” Alex smiled “Let’s go with the others” He stood up,and then leaned his hand to Luke. The boy grinned and took it, and they poofed off to scare Reggie and Julie.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy it <3


End file.
